Means for overcoming insomnia



A. o. DARLlNG MEANS FOR OVERCOMING INSOMNIA Filed Sept. 20, 1920 FIG. 1.

7, MWNVENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALICE O. DARLING, OF BRISTOL, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MEANS FOR OVERCOMING INSO'MNIA.

Applieation'filed September 20, 1920. Serial No. 411,661.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALICEO. DARLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bristol, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Overcoming'Insomnia, for which the following-is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements on the means for overcoming insomnia described and illustrated in the U. S. Letters Patent #1,296,930 issued-to me March 11, 1919.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide improved means for supporting a recumbent person in a position tending to diminish-blood pressure on the brain and other vital organs whereby the supporting means may thus serve as a curative agent in cases of insomnia, high blood pressure, and other afflictions of like char acter affecting the state of mind or brain of the person so afflicted.

As an additional object it maybe said to provide broadly an article of beddinggenerally useful around sick rooms, surgical wards of hospitals, etc.,- as an aidin thereestablishment of health and comfort to an afflicted person and having a portion adjustble to provide a head rest to compel a bodily position to be assumed which is calculated tobanish the causes which account for and accompany the many diseases of the stomach.

lVith the above and other objec-tsin view the invention resides generally in the details of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved reclining support or mattress constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fignre Q.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of the invention, and

Figure 5 is a side view of the head part shown separate from the mattress portion.

Figure 6 is a detailed, sectional view of the chest pad.

In carrying out the purposes and stated objects of the invention, a body supporting member such as a mattress 1 is provided and as shown consists of a fabric covering stuffed with suitable filler means 3 so as to provide a soft and comfortablebeddingfor the reclining figure. The mattress is formed with a cutout portion at one corner of the end '4 as indicated at 5 and this cut out is normally adapted to be filled by ahead cushion or pillow block 6 carried by the'head part4. This cushion may be a separate piece fitting into the cut out and attached to the mattress at one side only, that side bemg the one adjacent the part 4 and the attachment being effected by tapes or any other flexible means for hingingthe cushion make of material so as to appropriately conform thereto, and it'may be normally held in place by straps 9 arrangedin-pairs'upon the top and bottom covering ofthe cushion, either outside asshown or inside if preferred and the tongue ends 10 of these straps-are adapted to be fastened to buttons or other suitable'fastening. elements 11 secured to the mattress as indicated. In this way the cushion is prevented from dropping downwardly whenever the mattressis moved about from place to place.

As above describedthe mattress is quite similar to and maybe used as the usual and ordinary bed mattress but in adapting the same to the needs of a person afflicted with insomnia or other mental or bodily ills, the

cushion 6 may be raised and swung back over thehead part 4 as indicated by the dotted structure of the drawings so as to provide a raisedhead rest-against which the forehead of the recumbent person maybe laid in a manner about as indicated in F ig- 'ure 1 of the drawings. In order to attain this position, the sleeper must turn the body face downwards, so that the head is supported in a raised position without tending to cramp or twist the muscles of the neck. The major portion of the mattress amply supports the body while the cushion, in sustaining the head at an elevation not only relieves blood pressure upon the brain but also tends to eliminate the persistent and sometimes injurious cough in diseases of the throat and lungs, besides inducing sleep by quieting the mind and freeing it from distracting thoughts.

In its modified form the invention may be constructed of two sections, the section 12 constituting the mattress proper and the smaller section 13 providing the head part therefor and being a separate and distinct piece. The cushion 14: is connected to the section 13 at one side thereof and may be made an integral part thereof as in the manner previously described. lVhen placed together as shown in Figure 1, the two sections form a complete supporting member or mattress either of which maybe moved or adjusted at will. When not in use the hinged cushion may be swung downwardly into the cut out portion provided therefor and fastened by means of the straps so as to be firmly held in place. It may also be noted that the cushion may, instead of being entirely folded over, be simply propped up from underneath so as to provide an inclined surface which may be used in other cases as a pillow means.

Chest supporting means in the nature of a wedge-shaped pad 15 is provided for use in connection with either of the above described forms of the invention and consist of a fabric casing filled or stuffed with suitable cushioning material as shown at 16. This pad may be of the same general construction as the mattress and is designed to be separably attached to the same whereby it can be removed whenever desired. The base of the pad is flat, but the upper surface is inclined as shown, thus narrowing the pad at one end and permitting it to comfortably support the chest at that elevation which is conducive to the greatest comfort when the forehead is resting as in Fig. 3 of the drawings on the turned back section of the mattress. In width the pad is narrow enough so that the arms may rest, folded, at either side of it with the hands clasped either around the upper or high end of the pad. Side straps 1717 are carried by the pad for attaching it to the mattress, the straps extending outwardly on opposite sides of the pad and across the mattress to which they are fastened by suitable fastening means 18. When not in use the pad may be unfastened from the mattress and disposed of under a pillow at the head end of the bed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mattress comprising a body portion having a cut out in which is normally received a portion which is adapted to be swung inwardly over the body portion to receive the forehead of a reclining person to hold the face above the body portion and provide a breathing space, and a support for the chest of the person.

2. A mattress comprising a body portion having a cut out in which is normally received a portion which is adapted to be swung inwardly over the body portion to receive the forehead of a reclining person to hold the face above the body portion and provide a breathing space, and a detachable support for the chest of the person, said support adapted to be positioned in line with the inturned head portion.

3. A support for a recumbent figure com-- prising a body supporting portion having a cut out, a head cushion fitting in the cut out and hingedly connected at one side to the body supporting portion and means for releasably fastening the cushion on another side to the said body-portion.

4. A support for a recumbent figure comprising a body supporting portion having a portion adapted to be folded inwardly thereover to form a head rest, a chest supporting pad, and means for positioning and securing the chest supporting pad on the body supporting portion in line with the inwardly folded head rest.

5. The combination with a mattress having a cut-out portion at one corner, and a portion normally received in said cut-outbut adapted to be folded over the mattress to form a head rest, means for holding the foldable portion in the cut-out, and a detachable pad supported on the mattress in line with the head rest.

6. A mattress comprising a body portion having a cut-out in which is normally received a portion which is adapted to be swung inwardly over the body portion to receive the forehead of a reclining person to hold the face above the body portion and provide a breathing space.

ALICE O. DARLING.

Witnesses:

EUGENE l/V. LEACH, Horus K. SMITH. 

